Author Topic: Detective Conan/Case Closed - 20th Anniversary Marathon  (Read 19484 times)

Paul Phoenix

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Re: Detective Conan/Case Closed - 20th Anniversary Marathon
« Reply #10 on: April 18, 2016, 12:48:32 AM »
Hermit, I am enjoying reading along. A little bit back you wanted a translation for company president, CEO (chief executive officer) should fit the bill.

Thanks, Dave. :) But I'm afraid there's a slight nuance between CEO and 'company president', and I'm kinda a purist when it comes to definitions... Thanks for helping out though! Appreciate it.


2. That being said, I've got some suggestions for you. I like how, as you point out, people who do a marathon often have little segments of their reviews that would call out a specific thing that happens over the course of the movies/show. You mention the fun gadgets. Perhaps that would be a thing you could have a section for. That way you might hook people's interest with a little detail that wouldn't take much context to understand. Perhaps even a screenshot? I'd be interested in reading that.

Yep. I'm planning to do a whole segment on that some time in the very near future. ;D Be sure to look out for it (and much more).


3. Connected to the first point, there's a long tradition here of doing marathons in a pair or even a bigger group. If you recruit somebody to watch the same thing with you, there will be at least one other voice to talk to! It might be too late for this marathon, as you seem to be motoring along, but perhaps in thinking about your next one, you could ask somebody who might be interested to follow along, or even just open a thread up early to plan with a group. I was thinking about doing this with the Bergman movies I'll be watching/rewatching over the summer, perhaps you'd like to join in?

That sounds like a fine idea. I would love to do a Spider-Man marathon with the rest of the forum. The ol' web-slinger has a rich history on television, so it should be quite fun. 8)

I'm afraid I'll have to take a rain-check on that Bergman marathon though. I've never really invested enough interest in him and his works... Sorry. :P But hey, I wouldn't mind dropping by if I ever get a chance.

But your mentioning of group marathons does sound great. If I have any marathon ideas in the future, I'll be sure to make it more available for an entire group.


4. As always, people are busy and busy. I know in the US we had either lovely sunny days (my friend came in from out of town to visit and we were out most of the last three days) or snowy (3 feet on Facebook, crazy talk). I love how much you write (your Seven Samurai review was a great read), but also writing so much will make it harder to read, especially given point number 1. I'll probably go on at some length about those upcoming Bergman movies for my own benefit if nobody else's, but I know that the more I write the less likely it is that somebody else reads it. I'm not asking you nor telling you to change the way you write, just to be aware that wordiness (and not over-wordiness, either, because you make a lot of interesting points with all of those words) inherently decreases the liklihood that somebody will read, much less respond.

Yeah, that's true. It can be a real challenge finding the right balance between writing many interesting points in a wordy post and writing a bare-boned post that merely sums up the film. I've noticed that flaw a week back when I was summing the plot-line instead of talking about my feelings towards the films/episodes, so I've began to focus these Detective Conan reviews more on talking about how these episodes might connect to the general audience, as well as mix in some general knowledge about TV writing and mystery fiction into it for good measure. I realized that there's more of a charm to it when you remember whom your intended audience is, and shift a more neutral tone to those who might not be as invested in the show.


The great part about the Top 100 thread is that you're guaranteed at least one response!

Yep. 'Tis a great place to spend time with folks in the forum. ;D


Write a novel, somebody has to read it.

Nope. Tried that schtick. Didn't stick, ever. Writing a novel is way different than writing a sincere forum post that converses with other people. I repetitively gave up on it and picked it up again over the decade. It's an arduous task filled with research, editing, studying, not to mention talent. It's the same reason why I prefer to talk about films than make one. Way easier and more fun discussing about them.

Anyway, thanks for all the good tips and advice, I'll take them into great consideration. Really helpful. Feel free to drop by again any time. ;)
"I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel all alone." - Lance Clayton (played by Robin Williams), World's Greatest Dad

Eternally seeking variety. 'Tis the spice of life for me.

Junior

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Re: Detective Conan/Case Closed - 20th Anniversary Marathon
« Reply #11 on: April 18, 2016, 12:58:30 AM »
The last bit about writing a novel was me encouraging you to write a super long post for a review in the Top 100 thread, not to write an actual novel. Because at least one person would have to read it, see. Bad joke.
Check out my blog of many topics

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Paul Phoenix

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Re: Detective Conan/Case Closed - 20th Anniversary Marathon
« Reply #12 on: April 18, 2016, 01:02:40 AM »
The last bit about writing a novel was me encouraging you to write a super long post for a review in the Top 100 thread, not to write an actual novel. Because at least one person would have to read it, see. Bad joke.

Hah! Actually, not that bad of a joke. I mean, I wouldn't mind pulling another Seven Samurai again. That review was... exhausting, but satisfying in a way. It's like writing a school thesis on film, which can be educational for both the writer and the reader. I might do it again some time for another film of similar stature.
"I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel all alone." - Lance Clayton (played by Robin Williams), World's Greatest Dad

Eternally seeking variety. 'Tis the spice of life for me.

Paul Phoenix

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Re: Detective Conan/Case Closed - 20th Anniversary Marathon
« Reply #13 on: April 18, 2016, 07:57:29 AM »
In the manga this TV series is adapted from, author Gosho Aoyama would feature two particular things in each volume: a caricaturized depiction of himself getting murdered in various ways, and a famous detective from literature or film. Remembering that little section of the manga got me the idea for my little segment here, which would hopefully give my readers unfamiliar with the anime something to connect with. Sometimes, I would describe the detective in my own words and reflect my own feelings; other times, if I'm not too familiar with the detective Gosho highlighted in his manga, I would still try to share some information about him (or her) for your fancy. Please enjoy. ;D

Featured Detective of the Day
Sherlock Holmes


Creator: Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle
Originated From: Britain, United Kingdom
First Appearance: 1887, "A Study in Scarlet"
First Appearance On Film: 1900, "Sherlock Holmes Baffled", an American silent film by Arthur Marvin
Notable Portrayals: Countless; Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downey Jr., Jeremy Bretts, Peter Cushing, Basil Rathbone, and Christopher Lee among them
Aoyama's Recommendation: "The Sign of the Four"

A brilliant London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his intellectual prowess and is renowned for his skillful use of astute observation, deductive reasoning and forensic skills to solve difficult cases.

Holmes is famous for using small details, such as mud or water stains, to piece together the solution to a crime. He can use the same method to figure out someone's occupation. When he first met Watson, he was able to tell with a glance and a handshake that he was an army surgeon and had been to Afghanistan. He was also quite physically fit, skilled at boxing, fencing, and baritsu.

Although a fictional character, Kudo Shinichi looks up to him as the world's greatest detective. Shinichi admires his deductive skills, physical abilities, and even his love for the violin. It was to be more like Holmes that Shinichi played soccer and picked up the violin.


Over the decades, there have been so many portrayals of the iconic detective with the deerstalker. Although most of my childhood memories of the character came from the frequent allusions made in the anime, it's built enough enthusiasm in me that I would become excited whenever I see that name on television or movies. And of course, the BBC Sherlock TV series certainly became the peak of that excitement.


The first and only book I've read about Sherlock was his very first adventure in A Study in Scarlet, and I remember reading till the second-half of the book, where the crime was solved and it began talking about a caravan of nomads or something... Naturally, I lost interest, but I'm glad I made it that far. The detective's godlike perceptions were fascinating to me as a kid, of course, just as a superhero and a magician would attract the fancies of a child with their amazing feats. There is a mystifying glamour to the power over truth. Sherlock's rapid arrivals at the conclusion of a mystery was enviable, especially when it's done with such wit and flair.

Some of Sherlock's famous quotes recited by Shinichi in the anime became my own favorite quotes, such that by the time Cumberbatch got around to say that particular line, I was squealing like an adolescent fangirl. The thing is, back then, I was still in that phase of not thinking much for myself. I never really thought about why I liked those quotes, just that they sounded cool to me. For example, one of my favorites was "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." It's a nice deductive technique for getting at the truth, but for the 12 year old me, it might as well have been just a clever one-liner. And how rightly so.

Before Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and possibly even Spider-Man, I already had a favorite 'good vs. evil' match-up. While older kids had Luke and Vader, mine was an antagonism yet again made allusion to in Conan: Sherlock vs. Moriarty.


The famous Reichenbach fall is perhaps one of my fondest memories of Sherlock allusions in Detective Conan. It became fixated in my mind, that iconic scene of Sherlock and Moriarty's last stand atop the cliff. Years later, when Guy Ritchie brought that childhood recollection to life in A Game of Shadows, I was ecstatic, regardless of my later feelings about Robert's portrayal of the titular character. I was like, "Yes! I finally got to see that legendary battle!" It's wonderful how literary icons like them could make a boy who never liked books become just a little interested in these timeless stories of old. Sherlock is truly worthy of standing alongside other literary titans the likes of Shelley and Stoker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWQpxTfGa1Y
"Are you... sure you want to play this game?"

Jared Harris is essentially my favorite Moriarty on-screen yet, even more than Andrew Scott's more eccentric take on the villain. It's not so much Jared's acting that won me over though, no. His acting was functional, but not that compelling. Rather, it's the above scene during Sherlock's first encounter with Moriarty that got me excited. Ritchie played up the antagonist quite well in the movie, giving him a larger than life aura of intimidation that makes him a believable challenge against our slick-tongue detective. There's a more theatrical, dramatic atmosphere between Sherlock and Moriarty here than there is in the BBC TV series, which felt a bit more toned down and grounded. The thin plot of the movie aside, that scene above was quite an entertaining tribute to the first meeting of both legends.

Aside from Reichenbach, Detective Conan has allured me to many other aspects of Sherlockian fiction as well. In fact, I could hardly name a single thing I love about Sherlock that didn't originate from the anime's allusions. The animated TV series was that important to building the Sherlock fan in me. One particular aspect is something I've already mentioned before - the steeple. The first time I learned of this iconic pose was not from the books, but from the sixth movie of the anime, The Phantom of Baker Street.


As the name implies, the movie takes place in Baker Street, albeit a virtual reality version of it which also happens to feature both Moriarty and the Holmes himself. It's like Christmas for both Conan and I, having to basked in the world of Sherlock come to life. After learning of the detective's famous pose, I couldn't help but find myself striking a similar posture often when I'm thinking of something. It became my Superman flying pose, my Darth Vader choke hold. The stuff of childhood fantasies.

There is one more important part of Sherlock that I first learned from this movie - the woman. Oh, the woman. Irene Adler.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utwenXbh9hA
"I've always assumed that love is a dangerous disadvantage - thank you for the final proof."

She was a real mystery to me at first. All I knew of her was that she's supposed to be an old flame of Sherlock, and I never paid much heed to her. It's not until I did some research years later (along with the help of Ritchie's movies) that I found out that she was so much more. By the time Lara Pulver came along with the amazing "Scandal in Belgravia", she had my heart melted in her grips. Ah, the woman. She was really something else. The perfect partner to match Sherlock's intellect and wits. Like the ensemble dark horse of Star Wars, Boba Fett, Irene was a character whose existence in Sherlockian fiction was brief, but her brief stay was unforgettable, transcending through time.


There were many other wonders and magic to this mystic hero, too many to mention in this post alone. What is your fondest memory of the Deerstalker Detective? Which famous literary detective would you like to see featured next?
« Last Edit: April 18, 2016, 08:02:25 AM by Hermit »
"I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel all alone." - Lance Clayton (played by Robin Williams), World's Greatest Dad

Eternally seeking variety. 'Tis the spice of life for me.

Paul Phoenix

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Re: Detective Conan/Case Closed - 20th Anniversary Marathon
« Reply #14 on: April 19, 2016, 10:46:34 AM »
Case File #5
The Case of the Bullet Train Explosion


Important Milestone:
  • New Gadget: Power-Enhancing Kick Shoes; greatly amplifies one's foot-strength
  • Conan attempts to disclose his true identity

In the Manga:
  • Conan didn't misidentify two random strangers as the men in black he's pursuing; they were actually Gin and Vodka. Conan learned their code-names for the first time.
  • The three children didn't appear.
  • Ran didn't ask about Conan's disclosure of his identity until "The Case of the Coded City Map", which follows this story rather than preceding it.

Conan's got new shoes! I want to save the highlighting of these gadgets for a later time, so I'm merely going to say - it's got a lot of kick to it. HAH! #shamelesspunFTW.

The problem with having men dressed in common, everyday black suits as your main antagonist is pretty obvious, but this episode later reveals that Conan isn't just assuming that everyone in black are the ones he's after. It turns out that these two criminals have very similar hairstyles and dress-codes as the two men who knocked him out in the first episode. Of course, this wasn't the case in the manga, and it was indeed Gin and Vodka (who reveal to Conan their code-names for the first time, an important information the anime excludes, probably to prolong the series development...), but I don't really mind the change here that much, as it has the realistic effect of having a great detective like Conan making a trivial (but understandable) mistake like this.

The three children appear once again despite not being in the manga, and their role as plot-device in the anime has began to wear out for me this early in the series. The problem is that comic reliefs like them are best used in small doses - especially when they are obnoxiously loud children. But over the two decades, the anime would continue to utilize them to fill the screentime as much as possible, causing the detrimental effect of sedating the intensity of a crime thriller such as this. I would assume that such an effect was intentional since the newer episodes got more light-hearted and comical. Such is the unfortunate impediment of television censorship.

But it's not all terrible with these kids. Sometimes it takes an untrained eye to pick up clues that the meticulous perfectionists would miss. That's why Sherlock had Watson with him. More often than not, Conan manages to solve a crime only after someone mentions an otherwise mundane observation, and the same thing happens in this episode. Much as it happens when we review films of a complex nature, sometimes we scrutinize so much that it takes a little child to point out the big picture for us.

That said, the frequency of such recurrences can become numerous enough that the trope can turn into an unrealistic cliche. It doesn't help that whenever Conan figures out the truth from one of these 'helpful clues', a streak of white light strikes through a black background screen behind him (symbolizing the light of truth flashing through his mind). Added with the aforementioned cliche, this visual cue can seem comical under the wrong light. Just imagine Conan getting a consecutive series of these 'Eureka moments' from random remarks in the background and he gets that silly streak of light behind him everytime. I swear I saw a well-edited parody of that on YouTube once...

As you might guess from the screenshot and episode title, this episode deals with a bomb on a bullet train. I love the symbolic nature of this case - a race against time on a bullet train! Reminds me of Jan de Bont's Speed (one of my favorite films during childhood). The two men responsible for the suitcase bomb have made a trade with one of the passengers on the train, and that passenger is unknowingly carrying the explosive. After the two men escape Conan, it all comes down to four suspects by the end: an impatient stockbroker on the computer, a woman reading a newspaper, an old man listening to a Walkman (yikes, forgot how old this show was), and a brutish-looking big guy chewing on the limb of an octopus (popular delicacies in Japan).

While trying to figure out who carries the case, Conan got the three children involved in finding it. Although it was an indirect action (they mostly tagged along themselves), Conan should really have known better than to involve children in something this dangerous. He does mention to them about the danger later on, but if it was me, I would have made them disinterested in finding anything at all from the beginning - and I'm not the brilliant detective here!

Aside from being pestered by the children, Conan also has to deal with Ran's attempt of keeping him from causing trouble (because he looks like a seven year old playing around on the train). At one point, she prevents him from escaping entirely by watching him vigilantly like a hawk. Out of desperation to get Ran to warn the guards on the train, he begins to reveal his identity for the first time in the series! Such confessions will happen a lot (and fail a lot) throughout the anime, so often that I just kinda figured out it's a bluff from the start. There are times when he actually succeeded, only to keep his secret identity shtick going again. But it's occurred enough times that the fan-theory about Ran knowing the truth by now is beginning to look fruitful. In fact, the failed confession in this episode sets up Ran's suspicions in episode 7. I'm looking forward to that one.

My instinct from years of watching the show told me that the one among the four holding the bomb is the old man because Conan didn't get the chance to check his belongings. Furthermore, the men in black mentioned the clue that "when the time comes, (the passenger) would ignite the bomb without even knowing about it." Given that the elderly man is near-deaf, I figured the trigger must have something to do with vibration. At the end of each episode, there's also a segment called "Next Conan's Hint!" where a clue is given about the mystery of the next episode; the clue for this one is a cellphone, which vibrates... you could see where my train of thought (no pun intended) led me.

But this is one of those cases where Gosho was merely dropping a red herring in the manga. Nice trick, Aoyama. It turns out that the actual culprit is the nice young lady who (if you look close enough) actually has a cellphone right in front of her... The low quality of the dated animation makes this a little vague, but the clue was right in front of me the whole time. ;D

By the time he finds out the truth, however, Conan only has... you guessed it, mere seconds to kick the suitcase out of the train with his brand new gadget. Typical. Did you expect anything else from a race against time? :P Nevertheless, it was still an intense episode filled with heart-throbbing moments - if you would just let your sense of disbelief slide a little bit.

3.5/5

Yes, I know I promised not to do these plot-summarizing reviews, but I feel that I get to express more clearly my feelings towards what's going on in the episode this way. I would still be keeping in mind that these reviews are targeted towards those who haven't watched the show at all, which is yet another reason why I'm explaining the plot this thoroughly. ;)
« Last Edit: April 19, 2016, 01:19:16 PM by Hermit »
"I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel all alone." - Lance Clayton (played by Robin Williams), World's Greatest Dad

Eternally seeking variety. 'Tis the spice of life for me.

Paul Phoenix

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Re: Detective Conan/Case Closed - 20th Anniversary Marathon
« Reply #15 on: April 20, 2016, 03:51:01 PM »
Featured Detective of the Day
Kogoro Akechi


Creator: Edogawa Rampo (real name: Tarō Hirai)
Originated From: Japan
First Appearance: January 1925, "The D Slope Murder Case"
First Appearance On Film: 1927, Issun-boshi, titled after a Japanese fairy tale
Notable Portrayals: Eiji Okada, Isao Kimura, and notably in the west, Masahiro Motoki in "Rampo" (1994)
Aoyama's Recommendation: "The Golden Mask (Ōgon-kamen)"

He first appeared in the story "The D Slope Murder case" in 1925 and continued to appear in stories for a quarter of a century. Akechi is the first recurring detective character in Japanese fiction and is clearly inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.

Like Holmes, Akechi is a brilliant but eccentric detective who consults with the police on especially difficult cases. He is a master of disguise and an expert at judo whose genius lets him solve seemingly impossible cases. Also like Holmes, Akechi makes use of a group of young boys to gather information. His version of the Baker Street Irregulars is known as the Detective Boys (少年探偵団 Shōnen Tantei-dan, lit. Boy Detectives Club). Akechi smokes Egyptian cigarettes when he is thinking about a case.

Kogoro Akechi is a tall, handsome man with heavy eyebrows who dresses well, although in earlier stories he always wore a dirty green yukata and had messy hair. He is married to a woman named Fumiyo (文代) and has an adopted son, Yoshio Kobayashi (小林 芳雄), the leader of the Detective Boys. Kobayashi often plays an important part in solving cases. Like his mentor, he is an expert at disguise and is especially adept at posing as a young woman. Aside from these relationships little is known of the detective's personal life, which always takes a back seat to the mystery in his adventures.

Detective Akechi's most frequent foe is the infamous Kaijin Nijū Mensō (怪人二十面相, Fiend with Twenty Faces). The Fiend is a non-violent criminal with an infallible gift for disguise who steals to demonstrate his brilliance rather than out of need for money. He and Akechi have a mutual respect in the stories.

The Akechi stories are based mainly in the detective's home city of Tokyo, though some move the action to the Japanese countryside. The stories often feature supernatural and erotic overtones, though not so much as Rampo's other fiction.


This will be the first of many detectives to come that I would not have a personal relationship with (Poirot, Ellery Queen, and Cordelia Gray among them). Let's see if I could start getting used to being more dispassionate with these highlights. I felt that the last highlight became too narcissistic, with me talking more about my love for the detective than the detective himself, so I'm hoping that this time would be different.

Naturally, the character of Mouri Kogoro (the deadbeat dad of Conan's girlfriend) from Detective Conan had his name inspired by this detective (although not so much his charisma and genius for solving cases), and Conan's surname came from Akechi's creator, Edogawa Rampo. In fact, there are more allusions to Kogoro Akechi than any other detectives in the anime. There's the "Detective Boys", the club started by those three children I always mentioned in my reviews. This 'Fiend with Twenty Faces' also sounds a lot like Kaito Kid, also a non-violent foe of Conan we would meet later in the series (episode 76). Much like the Fiend, Kaito has an infallible gift for disguise, and he also steals priceless treasures all over the world for the mere sake of demonstrating his brilliance (and also to use this connection to find his father's murderer). Kaito and Conan also share a mutual respect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7ihIt4wt7A
A scene from Rintaro Mayuzumi and Kazuyoshi Okuyama's "Rampo" (1994)

Unsurprisingly, the film above presents a premise similar to James McTeigue's "The Raven" (2012), which is about a story of Edgar Allan Poe coming to life. Similarly in this film, a story of Edogawa Rampo starring the famous detective Kogoro has come to life in the form of a real life murder as well. After having a story of his censored by the government for being too disturbing, a crime bearing striking resemblance with his story is reported in the news (the film's criticism of biasness towards journalism and against artists). Rampo is filled with psychedelic imagery blending reality and fiction throughout, and the score by Akira Senju, as you can sample from the clip above, bears a touch of loneliness and elegance beautifully colliding together. For movie goers in the west interested in exploring the literary work of one of Japan's most famous mystery writers, this is a great place to start.


Another notable work one could check out is the 1968 movie, "Black Lizard" (from the director of Battle Royale, Kinji Fukasaku). The eponymous character of the film is a notorious female criminal in drag. Yes, a drag queen criminal empress going against a private eye. How's that for intriguing? Not unlike Edogawa's works, the film is soaked in erotic and uncanny undertone, and has gained a cult following by devotees of kitsch and campy films. Don't be fooled by the flashy images - this film is both style and substance, delivering both a visceral and intellectual experience. Unfortunately, the film is out of print and won't receive any DVD release in the future. You can, however, check out the entire film right now on YouTube.

This has been an educational write-up for me. I hope it's been an interesting read for you too. ;D Till next time, remember - there can only be one truth!
« Last Edit: April 20, 2016, 03:55:32 PM by Hermit »
"I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel all alone." - Lance Clayton (played by Robin Williams), World's Greatest Dad

Eternally seeking variety. 'Tis the spice of life for me.

Paul Phoenix

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Re: Detective Conan/Case Closed - 20th Anniversary Marathon
« Reply #16 on: April 24, 2016, 10:47:55 AM »
I think it's time to amp up the speed of my viewing. I just found out a few days ago that the screening for movie 20 is going to be in July. That leaves me about three months to catch up with the series and all 19 movies. So, the reviews from now on will be short-burst, and the highlights are unfortunately canceled. Maybe next time.

Case File #6
The Valentine Murder Case


Important Milestone:
  • New Gadget: Stun-Gun Wristwatch: a watch with a tranquilizer dart
  • Ran's bestfriend, Suzuki Sonoko is introduced for the first time.

And what an annoying bestfriend she is. Next to the three children, Sonoko is only second to the most annoying characters in the series. But unlike the children, I do have a softer spot for her. She has heart. And even if she has less than desirable traits, the series would eventually develop her to become a loyal friend of Ran, something that's made me liked her more in the later years.

The mystery is actually pretty good for a TV-original episode, but it's really no surprise, since we're still early on in the series. Furthermore, the conclusion is lackluster; a stepmother who kills her adopted son. While this cliche can still happen in real life, it's a dated cliche (even back in 1996) that serves little merit to good storytelling, and certainly not in this episode.

And another jerk drops dead in this episode. I'm probably going to keep count how many times I mention "jerk" while reviewing this series.

★★★
« Last Edit: May 01, 2016, 04:50:21 PM by Hermit »
"I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel all alone." - Lance Clayton (played by Robin Williams), World's Greatest Dad

Eternally seeking variety. 'Tis the spice of life for me.

Paul Phoenix

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Re: Detective Conan/Case Closed - 20th Anniversary Marathon
« Reply #17 on: April 24, 2016, 04:04:04 PM »
Case File #646/#647
Deduction Showdown at the Haunted Hotel


Important Milestone:
  • New Character: Masumi Sera, a young detective who's wise to Conan's deductive prowess

This episode is reminiscent of Conan's first encounter with Hattori Heiji, another high school detective like Kudo himself. In fact, much like Heiji, Sera here also makes a mistake in her deductive reasoning, forcing Conan to solve the case using his true identity. The key difference is how the episode plays with this similarity; Sera intentionally makes the mistake just so she could lure Conan's identity, Kudo Shinichi, out in the open.

It's always fun to watch when Conan finally has someone who could match his intellect by his side as they both solve the case together. What makes this character introduction especially interesting is the inclusion of her skills in Jeet-Kune-Do. I wish the battle between Ran's karate and Sera's Bruce Lee technique would have lasted longer, but I'll take what I can get. Of course, Sera has a distinct trademark under her eyes that loyal fans should easily recognize what it alludes to. Can't wait to see that particular development unfold.

The mystery for this episode involves yet another trick using strings and pulleys. Granted, I've already read the manga version of these two episodes before watching them, but it was still pretty obvious then. That said, being a manga-adapted mystery, you could see the intelligence in the writing here differentiated from the TV originals. For example, there's a cliche here that's cleverly subverted; normally in old drama shows, people who commit suicide would remove their shoes for some reason. I almost face-palmed when I thought the characters were going to buy it, but it's merely teasing how silly and unrealistic that cliche is as the two young detectives pointed out.

However, the fact that Conan carelessly allows another person to find out about his identity is pretty sloppy writing. It's believable that Sera has the intellect to sniff out Conan's BS identity, but it's not believable that Conan can be this cocky. I mean, wasn't that his character development this whole time? Becoming less cocky after being shrunk down?

Oh well. I had some fun with this episode, particularly when the inspector learns that there's another detective on his crime scene and goes, "Not another of these pain-in-the-necks." Classic throwback to the friction between Sherlock and Lestrade.

★★★½
« Last Edit: April 25, 2016, 08:44:00 AM by Hermit »
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Re: Detective Conan/Case Closed - 20th Anniversary Marathon
« Reply #18 on: April 24, 2016, 04:41:51 PM »
I mean, wasn't that his character development this whole time? Becoming less cocky after being shrunk down?

This sounds like a common problem in TV, especially shows that last as long as this one. How do you have character change without changing the character of the show? Ideally, there should be a change in the character's being if the show is invested in the "realness" of the people it is about. But also, for the majority of TV's history (in the US), there wasn't really an emphasis on continuity between episodes. You couldn't count on everybody watching every episode, and they would play once and be gone, so how can you have a character change dramatically because of one episode? One of the ways that has changed is thanks to technology, so now people can record episodes or watch them all on Netflix or whatever, so the creators are allowed a little more room to tell a straight story with real character changes. See something like Game of Thrones for a prime example. But there are still shows caught somewhere in between, where they want the big changes but can't quite make the jump to fully linear storytelling. This sounds like one of them, and it can be frustrating to watch a show waffle between storytelling strategies.
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Re: Detective Conan/Case Closed - 20th Anniversary Marathon
« Reply #19 on: April 24, 2016, 05:38:22 PM »
I mean, wasn't that his character development this whole time? Becoming less cocky after being shrunk down?

This sounds like a common problem in TV, especially shows that last as long as this one. How do you have character change without changing the character of the show? Ideally, there should be a change in the character's being if the show is invested in the "realness" of the people it is about. But also, for the majority of TV's history (in the US), there wasn't really an emphasis on continuity between episodes. You couldn't count on everybody watching every episode, and they would play once and be gone, so how can you have a character change dramatically because of one episode? One of the ways that has changed is thanks to technology, so now people can record episodes or watch them all on Netflix or whatever, so the creators are allowed a little more room to tell a straight story with real character changes. See something like Game of Thrones for a prime example. But there are still shows caught somewhere in between, where they want the big changes but can't quite make the jump to fully linear storytelling. This sounds like one of them, and it can be frustrating to watch a show waffle between storytelling strategies.

The thing is, a lot of anime have been focused on linear storytelling for quite some time, and I feel that DC is one of them. In my review of the older episodes, you could see that there is a strong connection between the character development in one episode and also the following ones. This strong consistency in continuity has been going on for many episodes, not just because the source material came from a single author, Gosho Aoyama, but also because Asian TV shows have a strong focus on linear storytelling as opposed to American shows. There are exceptions like Pokemon, but the norm in anime is usually more like Digimon - a consistency in character development.

You make a good point, however, about the ideal changes to show the "realness" in people. People in real life change over time, and sometimes, they just forget about stuff that occur a long time ago, so maybe one could argue that Conan is being careless because it's been such a long time. But there are two problems obstructing this argument: 1) The "Ash Ketchum Syndrome", or how the show implies that only a few years tops have passed since episode 1, and 2) Conan is supposed to be a genius detective with brilliant senses. He could have easily detected Sera listening on him playing Kudo Shinichi - but he didn't.

In conclusion, I think it's just the author being sloppy, not the studio's fault, because from what I researched, this carelessness in Conan's behavior wasn't a change from the manga, or I would have added the "Manga to anime changes" section for this episode. It's understandable, given that it's a very, very old series - reaching 20 years, in fact. I could understand why such a mistake occur, but I think it's just a small nitpick in the big picture, since the mystery-element of the writing still holds up pretty well. That being said, a lot of fans feel that it's time Gosho get the case closed. It's been a good run, better than other long-running series like Naruto and Bleach (for the most parts). Better end it while it's hot before he jumps the shark, if he hasn't already.
« Last Edit: April 24, 2016, 05:40:02 PM by Hermit »
"I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel all alone." - Lance Clayton (played by Robin Williams), World's Greatest Dad

Eternally seeking variety. 'Tis the spice of life for me.